Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Nouakchott versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,387 in Nouakchott versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,923 in Nouakchott versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Nouakchott costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nouakchott is 36% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 MRU 197

$13.07 MX$229

-62.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.95 MRU 995

$53.8 MX$943

-53.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 MRU 254

$9.68 MX$170

-34.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 79.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 98.4

Cappuccino

$2.40 MRU 95.8

$3.74 MX$65.6

-35.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 MRU 72.8

$1.62 MX$28.34

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MRU 85.3

$1.16 MX$20.37

84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MRU 55.0

$1.65 MX$28.89

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 MRU 10.72

$2.75 MX$48.30

-90.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MRU 50.0

$1.87 MX$32.87

-33.16%

Eggs

$2.20 MRU 87.7

$2.50 MX$43.86

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 MRU 323

$10.20 MX$179

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 MRU 224

$8.25 MX$145

-31.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 MRU 293

$11.82 MX$207

-37.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 MRU 90.7

$3.01 MX$52.8

-24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MRU 72.8

$1.81 MX$31.77

1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MRU 58.1

$2.00 MX$35.07

-27.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 MRU 38.57

$2.00 MX$35.00

-51.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MRU 32.10

$2.08 MX$36.56

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MRU 33.72

$2.27 MX$39.85

-62.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MRU 22.51

$1.46 MX$25.55

-61.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 MRU 27.51

$1.08 MX$18.88

-36.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.20 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 MRU 102

$4.35 MX$76.3

-41.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MRU 21.14

$0.39 MX$6.79

35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 MRU 716

$18.69 MX$328

-3.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 MRU 33.53

$1.33 MX$23.25

-36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MRU 10.45

$0.28 MX$4.91

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MRU 230

$5.25 MX$92.1

9.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MRU 55.5

$1.34 MX$23.44

3.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$7,604 MRU 303.2K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

-60.83%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$9,039 MRU 360.5K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-62.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$144 MRU 5,752

$40.69 MX$714

254.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.38 MRU 1,012

$26.87 MX$471

-5.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 MRU 2,425

$30.51 MX$535

99.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.0 MRU 3,431

$52.8 MX$926

63.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$256 MRU 10.2K

$26.65 MX$467

859.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MRU 179

$6.51 MX$114

-31.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$81.4 MRU 3,247

$428 MX$7,508

-80.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,925 MRU 236.3K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-43.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.58 MRU 821

$57.3 MX$1,004

-64.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.50 MRU 818

$45.50 MX$798

-54.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 MRU 2,801

$104 MX$1,825

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.30 MRU 1,408

$108 MX$1,891

-67.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 MRU 9,127

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-77.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 MRU 6,549

$623 MX$10.9K

-73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MRU 25.4K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-69.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MRU 12.7K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-73.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,610 MRU 263.6K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

70.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,019 MRU 120.4K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

48.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 MRU 23.1K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-44.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.5

11.34

45.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nouakchott: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $229 in Nouakchott and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Nouakchott vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $292 per month, with Nouakchott cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nouakchott vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nouakchott and Mexico City differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($851 vs $1,456 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $229 in Nouakchott versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nouakchott runs roughly 4% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $81.4 in Nouakchott versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $851 in Nouakchott versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nouakchott but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nouakchott the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nouakchott gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.